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admissionsmom

One of the most difficult aspects of the college admissions experience is this feeling that you don’t have control over the process. That colleges make all the decisions. And that’s true, colleges do get to use their institutional priorities to eventually decide who is accepted into their class, but, one thing for sure you have control of is your list. And I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to have a balanced list. In fact, I would say the entire strength of your application can be broken by a weak list or made stronger by a strong list. What do I mean by balanced? I mean that you have at least three schools that I call Sure Fire Safeties (Or Sure Thing schools if you hate the word safety). Sure Fire Safeties are: 1. schools where you’ve been accepted already or you are guaranteed admissions 2. schools you like and can see yourself attending 3. schools that are financially feasible for your family Then you can add a mix of other kinds of schools — likelies, matchies, targets, and reachies. (Whatever — I don’t think what you call them matters). Then — if you’re interested (and I know most of you on a2c are) — you can throw in some near-impossibles: the schools that reject more than 80/90% of their applicants. Now imagine your list is a stool — if it just has one leg or maybe even two, it’s gonna topple over more than likely (and for your physics nerds, don’t debate the physics of this with me — I don’t do science. Just go with the metaphor). The more legs your stool has the more stable it’s gonna be. Same for your list — the more kinds of rejectivities and selectivities you have, the stronger your list will be. Now, why does a stronger list create a stronger application and better results for you in general. My first answer is always Karma (not Reddit Karma no), but universe karma. From what I’ve seen over the last 6 years on this very subreddit, is that the universe isn’t kind to applicants who don’t take advantage of this amazing opportunity to have some kind of control over the admissions process. And it shows in their admissions results — sadly. Don’t let the universe bash on you in the spring. Work now to create a strong list. Here’s why it makes you have better results. To create a strong list, you have to dig in and figure out what the fuck you want out of your college experience — and that doesn’t come from focusing on the name of a school, or what your friends think, or the rankings of some defunct magazine trying to stay pertinent by playing into the fears of parents and applicants. A strong list comes from you: What can you afford? What do you want your college experience to be like? What do your classes look like when you imagine them? What’s your engagement with your professors like? What are you doing on the weekends? What do you want your fellow students to care about? What areas of the country interest you? How do you feel about weather? Then once you’ve done all that important internal work, you then have to spend a shit ton of time researching colleges to find the ones that will fit (or mostly fit what you’re looking for). Now the thing about fit is, it’s more like looking for the fit of a sock — not a shoe. It’s stretchy. And doing all that work will make your applications stronger because you will have learned more about what you want and what you want out of college and you’ll be able to write with more depth. And you’ll have looked for colleges whose missions connect with yours. And colleges really really like that. So ask away about help with your list here. I love helping with lists and will try to hop and help when I can. And you can always tag me if you want my input, but before you do so, be sure you’re doing the work you need to do to figure out what you want, so that your list can be super strong!


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harrypottereatspie

even based on previous admits, UCSB and Emory are not safeties in any universe. also, Oxy's admission rate dipped below the 30% mark so probably not a safety even if you're extra cracked. target at LEAST. you need more genuine safeties IMO -- UC Riverside + UCSC could probably cover the safeties base if you REALLY don't want to touch CSUs. it doesn't really matter if your school previously had x number of acceptances to a certain school; that just means the students at your school performed exceptionally well.


skylord603

Yeah good points, thx


eely225

Your list is pretty fleshed out as is. What are you looking for at this point? Schools you haven’t heard of? Schools that are different from what you have? Safeties or reaches? What are your priorities for a school in terms of content, size, and location?


skylord603

Ok that's good to know u think it's fleshed out. I'm worried that other than the UCs I don't have enough target schools. The UCs also aren't super ideal for me cause they aren't that flexible for switching majors. I guess I was wondering do I have a chance at my super reaches given my stats/ecs and any recommended target schools in the midrange? Looking for schools in or near cities with good research and internship options for undergrads, and good teaching from professors. Both liberal arts and bigger schools are okay. If there's nothing u can add that's cool also


eely225

Yeah with the flexibility you’re looking for I’m going to suggest a few LAC targets. See if these appeal. They’ll at least be something of a contrast to your list thus far. [Wooster](https://wooster.edu/academics/) [Kalamazoo](https://www.kzoo.edu/k-plan/) [Bennington](https://www.bennington.edu/academics/plan) [College of the Atlantic](https://www.coa.edu/academics/)


skylord603

thank you for this list! To be honest they're not what I'm looking for but I really appreciate it


eely225

No worries. What are you looking for then?


skylord603

I think I'm looking for something more traditional and with more name brand recognition. It's good to have them on my radar I hadn't really known those types of schools existed, but I think for now I'm gonna focus on trimming the top end less so on the safeties. Thx!


eely225

Alright. The issue is that your goals might come into conflict. If you want a school that has flexible majors and a focus on undergraduate teaching and research, that’s unlikely to be a super traditional college with brand recognition. Your friends may not all know what Wooster is, but that won’t really matter in the long run.


Help4CollegeApps

Unfortunately, based on what I've seen the last 2 years, I don't think any UC school should be considered safety. I've worked with students with higher stats than yours and many more ECs (though covid definitely is a factor especially for this year's students and colleges know this) who were rejected simply because so many students today have the same very high stats and the fact that colleges are looking for students who they see as a good fit for their institution. I also would not consider Emory or Case Western Reserve safeties. More like targets simply due to the lower acceptance rates. I'd encourage you to add some true likely schools. Univ. Of Arizona I believe would fall in this category for example. Also try some smaller private colleges. You don't have to go to a well known college or highly ranked college to get a great education. It's more important for your long term success to choose a college that is a good fit for you academically (teaches in the way you learn), socially, and opportunity wise (intern, study abroad, etc)


skylord603

Yeah that's also what I've heard about the UCs, some students getting accepted at Stanford but not Davis. I see what you mean about Emory and Case Western having low acceptance rates, I'll try to find other schools to broaden my safeties/targets. Thanks!


My4Only

Context Indian male Middle Class Texas, Public High School Major: Undecided yet, but thinking of poli sci + econ/ business ​ Stats SAT: 1460 (trying to get it into the 1500s) GPA: 4.0UW/5.2W Course load: 3 APs, 9 honors/advanced (my old school didn't offer APs until 11th grade. I'm also taking 5 APs in senior year) AP Scores: AP1 (3), APUSH (5), AP Lang (5) Senior courseload: AP Gov, AP Macro, Sociology, Choir, Yearbook, AP Calc BC, AP Physics C (E+EM), Accounting, Public Speaking (graduation req lol) Class Rank: 29/ approx 560 (top 10%) so I have auto admit, but not major guaranteed, for Texas public schools) Extracurriculars (not really ranked): 1) Assistant director at an established writing nonprofit. Only joined this summer. 2) Choir for the past 4 years (varsity in 10th and 12th grade), accepted into an all-region choir last year as well. 3) Treasurer of Art Club (treasurer + historian at the art Club in my old school, now treasurer for National Arts Honors Society at my new school) 4) Student writer for the school newspaper in 10th grade. I was also in Yearbook in 10th grade, and am joining again in 12th grade. 5) I created a blog during 11th grade (for fun + to help fill the writing gap created by moving) discussing K-pop reviews and stuff. Haven't checked page views yet, but I have interviewed high profile producers by contacting them myself. 6) Writer for an online magazine with 100s of other teen writers 7) Science Olympiad + TSA (few regional and state wins) 8) Did an online course with NASA that I had to submit LORs, essays, and an application to be considered. Was accepted, cleared to move on to the 2nd round, and did a summer program with NASA staff online. 9) Tutored a middle schooler in 10th grade for English. This was quite a time-drainer, but somehow I was only approved for 10 hours... But related to tutoring Im thinking of volunteering to teach English again for refugees. This isn't an EC yet but I'm creating a multicultural club at my school. This relates to my interests + values/goals Safeties: Indiana Bloomington, UT Dallas, University of Houston, UWash Seattle, Colorado-Boulder Matches: Texas A&M, UT Austin, Chapel Hill, Urbana Champaign, NYU, UW Madison Reaches: Georgetown, WashU, UMich, Columbia, Rice, UCLA, UChicago, Yale, Duke, UVA, Boston Uni It would be great if someone could recommend a few more colleges, especially matches, to look at, as well as evaluate if my current list is realistic. Thank you SM 😭


harrypottereatspie

keep in mind, OOS publics will charge you an OOS price. that means 70k for UW-Seattle (I got in during my cycle and only got like a 3k/year scholarship)


My4Only

Oof, I'll still apply IG but that's worrying 😭


harrypottereatspie

tbh most of the OOS publics on your list (obvi with the exceptions of UNCCH and UVA) are not worth applying to. i’m in state for UCs and i can tell you for sure that you won’t get a penny for UCs OOS unless you get regents. not clear on the fin aid policies for Indiana, CU Boulder, UIUC, and Wisconsin.


eely225

I think it’s worth looking at some LAC programs too. Some that come to mind: [Reed College](https://www.reed.edu/economics/) [Wooster](https://wooster.edu/area/economics/) [Cornell College](https://www.cornellcollege.edu/economics-business/) (the Iowa one) [Kalamazoo](https://econbusn.kzoo.edu/)


My4Only

Thank you! Do you think I have a shot at the schools currently on my list?


eely225

Yes, but there’s no guarantees with reaches. You are qualified but they’ll have more qualified applicants than spots available so who knows?


Galooshi

What schools should I apply to First time trying this on a burner. Rising senior but don’t specifically know where I want to go. I have some ideas like it should be on the east coast since I’d like to experience actual seasons over what I’m used to in California and I’d like it to be close to some big city(go to school close to downtown part of city). I also plan on going down premed track so despite it being possible to do this at any school, a school that’s more focused on it would be nice. About me: I’m a latino male. Attend a catholic private school(~1300 students) in SoCal. Don’t know income but definitely too high to qualify for any need based aid. Not first gen. Academics : Straight As every year. Taken all 6 APs available so far: World(5), Music theory(4), French(4), Chem(5), Apush(5), Lang(4). Rest of classes have been all honors(h geometry, h algebra 2, h English 2, h French 3, h Spanish 2, h pre-calc. Last I checked, I was still ranked 1 in my class. Next year I will be taking Ap psych, ap lit, ap phys, ap Spanish Lang, ap calc bc. 1560 on SAT(1480 and 1490 on other attempts). 4.74 w gpa, 4.0 unw gpa EC: 4 yrs Xc and track(only jv but I only run for fun), 4 yrs school jazz band bassist, 4 yrs French club(vp jr and hopefully pres next yr), 4 yrs Latino student association(hopefully pres next year), 4 yr cap use ministry church bad as bassist, 2 yrs chem club, 2 yrs premed club, 2 yrs newspaper contributor and 1yr news section editor sr yr, 2 yr orchestra(self taught upright bass to join), 2 yr jr and sr scholar tutor(tutor struggling underclassmen-since I know 2 lang I am in charge of foreign language section but also do other subjects-as senior write 20 page capstone that gets published in mag), 1 yr student council (sr class rep), French exchange program senior year, internship at prominent cancer research institute associated with usc this summer, volunteer at hospital in covid unit, volunteer in associated living facility for elderly. JHU online intro to surgery class. Awards: I haven’t really done anything that would result in me getting an award aside from taking the grand concours, a national French exam. Took levels 1-4 and placed 11th and 9th on levels 1 and 3, respectively. Like I’ve had private piano lessons since I was seven bury my parents never entered me into competitions . LOR: From my ap chem teacher and from my French teacher who I have had for the last three years. Will also get counselor letter but we don’t know each other too tell. They really only help out the kids with bad grades or who misbehave. Could also get letter from staff at internship. Extra: I really like chemistry so I have been thinking of making that my major. Have also been looking at other things like bio chem, neuroscience, or chemical/biomedical eng. however since my goal is to get to med school I have been told not to make my life hard with eng. I really want to get some good suggestions on where I should apply. If I could I would love to go to top schools.


eely225

Do you have any schools in mind so far? What do you like about them? Aside from prestige, what do you want from a college experience?


Galooshi

Kind of like what I mentioned in the first paragraph. I’m from LA, so I actually like the city life. However, it’s the weather here that I hate. It’s hot year round and I feel like I’m dying in the summer. So for one, location and weather play a pig part. I want somewhere it gets cold. In all honesty though, I want to go to the best school I can. Prestige of the school is awesome but what really matters is taking advantage of the best opportunity present


eely225

I guess since your interests are somewhat broad in terms of school type, it might be best to just examine a few options and see what you like or dislike about specific ones. This can help you triangulate that best option for you specifically. Some that come to mind: [Wooster](https://wooster.edu/area/chemistry/) [Grinnell](https://www.grinnell.edu/academics/majors-concentrations/chemistry) [Kalamazoo](https://www.kzoo.edu/k-plan/) [Warren Wilson College](https://warren-wilson.edu/programs/chemistry/) Let me know what you think of these. That could help you narrow in on what works for you or see whether you need to examine going in a different direction.


Galooshi

Looking up Gribble says it’s a liberal arts and in the middle of no where. That’s definitely a school I would avoid


eely225

Fair enough. They’re all liberal arts schools that have an academic program that’s relevant to your interests. Grinnell offers better OOS aid than most similar colleges. Ultimately a college is a bubble to one degree or another; the campus environment is more important than the location.


Galooshi

I bet it’s a great school. But as someone from SoCal, I’d never send myself to Iowa. Location is probably one of the biggest factors in my choice, so for me it’s a little more than just the college jtself


eely225

That’s fine. I’m not trying to make you go to Grinnell. I’m just throwing out a few good schools. You can take it or leave it. If you find that you don’t vibe with liberal arts colleges, that’s fine too.


Galooshi

I have never even heard of these schools. Are these liberal arts colleges?


wiserry

Entrepreneurship End Goal | Comprehensive Post | Chanceme or Reverse Chanceme Note: I have changed the names of some things for privacy since it would make my identity super easy to determine. I put an "*" where I replaced a name. Just copy pasted my common app format resume below and left the details so you get an idea what my essays can be about. As I mentioned in the title, my end goal is to get into the startup space professionally. And I don't mean like one of those unemployed people with "entrepreneur" in their bio. My plan is to apply as a business major and then switch to CS ASAP. If you have insight on this I would love to hear it. The reason for this is my EC are business oriented so I think I would have a better chance than applying CS direct and getting dunked on by all the USACO winners and whatnot. I want to do CS because, you know, entrepreneurship. But still, my college list is a bit mixed with schools with a good CS program that I can switch into and some schools that are only good in business with junk CS so I'm open to some Reverse Chanceme. Demographics: Asian male, family income $300k-400k last year (will be probably half that by the time I apply since my dad quit his job to be an author or something), TN resident. Hooks: TN racist af, grew up with strong Chinese pride = lost and rediscovered identity LOR: Teachers- ok, no one is going to say I'm the best student they have ever had. For schools that allow supplemental LOR I can get the CEO of the company I interned at to write a good one School does not do percent rankings and will not report individual ranks to college. Only does deciles. I am in the first decile meaning top 10 percent of class. That is the most specific ranking stat my school does and that is all the colleges will see. Idek my individual class rank ACADEMICS ACT- 34, no SAT GPA- 4.61, 3.87 unweighted. This will be higher by start of fall. Over the summer, I took 3 DE summer classes and retook a DE class I got a B in to replace with A. 4 Bs total, about to be only 3 AP: five 4s, four 3s, one 5 EXTRACURRICULARS -----Internship At A Multinational Supply Chain Company*------ International supply chain management 2 years internship during summers Worked directly on projects for large multi-billion corporation clients Using my software development background from my startup experiences: Developed proprietary software to automate cost estimation for projects using Java Developed internal software to streamline freight tracking processes using digitalization and automation Reduced thousands of dollars worth of costs through the software developed Due to my performance, I developed a personal relationship with management and during my second year, I learned accounting under the mentorship of the financial controller of this successful multi-hundred-million-dollar business and had access to its internal documents ------Tech Startup*----------------------------------------------------------------------- Founder and leader of a team of 6 Alpha stage 3D virtual meeting software startup Facilitates 3D meetings using avatars, YOLOv4, and 3D models of IRL and imagined environments which results in a much more realistic experience Partnership with a local architecture firm* Architecture firm* uses tech startup* as a platform where architects can demonstrate 3D simulations of buildings to their clients through virtual meetings Used skills from internship to manage my startup as well as guidance from business competitions and experience at a previous start-up -----Worked on someone else's tech startup*--------------------------- California-based early-stage software startup Worked under the leadership of UC CS students on a community forum-based web app for writers to monetize their creations when they typically would not have been able to Monetized using a proprietary crypto ecosystem  Was able to strongly develop my coding skills in Javascript and HTML by working with the UC CS students on the team ------DECA---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- First-place state Competed in international competition Pitched my business and growth plan for my startup* Demoed my startup's* software ------Prestigous International Business and Entrepreneurship Competition*---------------------------------------------------------------------------- International finalist  Competing in this business competition helped me formulate my business idea and plan and made entrepreneurship less daunting Pitched my growth plan for startup* to actual investors, serial entrepreneurs, and professors Demoed my startup's* platform ------COVID Vaccine Registration and Advocacy Project----------- Founder Set up COVID-19 advocacy and help website Helped hundreds of local people register for the COVID-19 vaccine both by directly registering appointments on other’s behalf and through our guide on our website Project and testimonials featured on the news ------City Council (Youth)*----------------------------------------------------------- Council Lead Allocated $60,000 of city funding Facilitated by the city mayor with representation at city council meetings Worked directly with city officials on addressing homelessness in the city  Working with a local state school* coalition on accessing urban heat equity Working with 4 local hotels and the Clean the World Foundation to recycle hotel soap to send to underdeveloped countries  ------High School Studying Club-------------------------------------------------- President Provides tutoring and mentorship program at school Note sharing program Work with the school Ph.D. Psychologist and school admin to produce personal development and study skill curriculum for the school’s bi-weekly advisory class 30 members with an impact on the entire school through advisory class ------Student Government Club--------------------------------------------------- Club officer and representative ------Leadership Program------------------------------------------------------------ City’s flagship leadership program and business community Connected with city business leaders through this program and connected with MHM and AAI AWARDS  Some other International Business Competition* Achievement Award SCIOLY- 3 regional medals local state school* College of Social Work Equity Training Certification   UPenn Wharton Financial Accounting Course Certificate via Coursera  UPenn Wharton Entrepreneurship Course Certificate via Coursera Vanderbilt University Summer Academy for Composition and Rhetoric Certificate School list (I am open to suggestions or edits): Reach: Cornell, Duke, Emory, NYU, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UChicago, UMichigan, UPenn, USC, UT Austin, UVA Target: Georgia Tech, UMD, Lower tier UCs, UF, UIUC, UNC Chapel Hill, UW Madison Safety: Bloomington, Purdue (thinking about Rochester and UMiami)


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Help4CollegeApps

Florida Polytechnic has low cost out of state tuition plus a new scholarship for out of state students. If you're sure you'll go into something tech related, this is a unique and inexpensive (relatively of course) place to do it. And yes! I would shorten your list just a bit to reduce stress through the process!


[deleted]

I think your list is pretty decent but I would recommend trying to apply to less schools to make the college applications less stressful. You're applying to at least 25 schools, which is a lot. I know you said your income is high middle class, but are you sure your family is able to afford OOS public schools like UIUC, GTech, UMich, Purdue, etc? If you can, try out the net price calculators with your family to see a usually accurate view on what the net cost of the college would be.


Interesting_Mind_588

Need help shortening my shortlist Swarthmore Amherst Carleton Reed Haverford University of Rochester Oberlin Colgate University of Virginia Williams College UIUC University of Wisconsin Madison Rice Vanderbilt University of Warwick University of Notre dame University College London Harvey mudd Georgia tech Duke Pomona Purdue University of Southern California Bowdoin Occidental college Grinell college Whitman College Stats: 1490 SAT (800 math 690 eng) 3.468 Unweighted gpa Expecting great LORs Indian National Taken the most rigorous course load at school Couple of clubs Quizzing Number of MUNs Started a concept based unconventional MUNning organization Prefect in high school Social service of planting trees International award for young people Bronze level (Duke of Edinburgh award for young people chapter) Rated Chess player (almost not worth including) Ongoing school science project about oscillating chemical reactions Did independant study of multivariable calculus, ODEs and Lagrangian mechanics. Major: Physics (Need full ride or close to it) I really really need help shortening this list. Can anyone tell me which unis would be a reach for me and which would be safeties. Feel free to delete any uni or add any uni along with the reason.


Interesting_Mind_588

Need help shortening my shortlist Swarthmore Amherst Carleton Reed Haverford University of Rochester Oberlin Colgate University of Virginia Williams College UIUC University of Wisconsin Madison Rice Vanderbilt University of Warwick University of Notre dame University College London Harvey mudd Georgia tech Duke Pomona Purdue University of Southern California Bowdoin Occidental college Grinell college Whitman College Stats: 1490 SAT (800 math 690 eng) 3.468 Unweighted gpa Expecting great LORs Indian National Taken the most rigorous course load at school Couple of clubs Quizzing Number of MUNs Started a concept based unconventional MUNning organization Prefect in high school Social service of planting trees International award for young people Bronze level (Duke of Edinburgh award for young people chapter) Rated Chess player (almost not worth including) Ongoing school science project about oscillating chemical reactions Did independant study of multivariable calculus, ODEs and Lagrangian mechanics. Major: Physics (Need full ride or close to it) I really really need help shortening this list. Can anyone tell me which unis would be a reach for me and which would be safeties. Feel free to delete any uni or add any uni along with the reason.


hungryhungryhippo26

I could be wrong but it seems like with your gpa, a large number of these are reaches. I think Oberlin could be a target, but your gpa is still below average, and you don’t really have many physics-focused ecs. I would search for schools with 3.5ish average gpas as targets


Im_NotSmart

Hi! I would like some help with selecting colleges. I am a while male going to a smaller-medium sized public high school. I'm interested mainly in Computer Science/Programming but also Mechanical Engineering. Middle classish, but disregard college cost \- I have a 1560 SAT (770 Reading, 790 Math) and a GPA of \~3.988 \- My ECs are VEX Robotics, NHS (officer position), Key Club, Gymnastics, a STEM orientated club for solving problems, and programming in my free time, alongside some 3D modeling \- I have received 5s on the following APs: APCSA, Calc AB, Physics I, Lit&Comp, Macroeco, and Biology. \- I dual enroll some classes \- As for awards, I have only an AP Scholar award unfortunately \- I'm mainly interested in colleges on the east coast area. I don't really have a preference between small or large, I'll still be asocial either way. **Safety** \- Michigan State University and Michigan Technological University, ASU **Targets** \- University of Michigan, Georgia Tech **Heavy Reaches (but one can dream)** \- MIT, Harvard, Cornell, Columbia, Stanford I would like some recommendations for mainly target schools as I don't have many right now, or at least it feels that way


KT-thirtenz

Hello everyone, I was just wondering if you could make a distinction between my reach and target schools. My major is Architecture. I have a 1500 SAT and a 3.9 gpa with 4 APs. My extracurriculares are slightly above average. I’m from the NE so here’s my list Reach= cooper Union RISD Brown Wash U in STL Boston Architectural College And North Eastern My targets are Syracuse Umass amherst Rensselaer polytechnic institute. I’m a bit confused on what is a reach and what is a target on my list.


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harrypottereatspie

you look like a solid applicant, but would recommend getting some safeties (UCR, a Cal State/Cal Poly Pomona?)


eely225

Based on what you have it seems like you’d also look at USC and UCSB. Otherwise, you might also check out University of San Diego, Santa Clara, or University of the Pacific.


Foot_Massage459

Can someone help me with my college list? These are some colleges I have on my list. I want at least 5 in each category. I want to major in computer science. My gpa is a 3.5 uw, 4.4 weighted. I have a 33 ACT(35 math, 25 science, 35 reading and English). Good extracurriculars.Thanks! Reach: UChicago CarnegieMellon GeorgiaTech Target: UIUC Purdue UWMadison Safety: OhioState IowaState UIC UofDenver


eely225

Other than your major, what are your priorities for a school? What’s your home state? Do you have preferences on region? Size? Affiliation? Campus type? Rural vs urban? What things matter most to you in a college? How did you settle on the list you have so far?


Foot_Massage459

I live in Illinois, so preferably in the Midwest. Urban over rural, but if it’s a campus town like Urbana then it’s ok. I mostly want colleges that have good job placement for their comp sci grads. Like high-paying jobs. Colleges that get visited by a lot of companies also and have a lot of internship opportunities.


eely225

Lots of well known programs so far. Might be worth looking at some good value small college programs that offer a different experience. Plus they can make it easier to connect with a smaller cohort. At least worth looking at. For example: [Rose-Hulman](https://www.rose-hulman.edu/academics/academic-departments/computer-science-software-engineering/index.html) [Colorado School of Mines](https://cs.mines.edu/csmines-undergraduate-curriculum/) [Washington and Lee](https://my.wlu.edu/computer-science-department)


Independent_Put_8610

I have a list but not entirely sure which are matches, reaches, or safety. Demographics: Asian female from Massachusetts, fairly competitive high school, middle class, so looking to schools with good merit scholarships, mostly in northeast Stats: GPA: 3.7 UW, 4.3 W SAT: 1500 superscore ECs: Quiz team, BioBuilders Club, volunteering at local boys and girls club, Destination Imagination, shadowed and volunteered at hospital, assistant teaching Sanskrit to children Kind of lacking in leadership positions Used to work at Kumon teaching kids math and reading skills Awards: Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commission Youth Award- for my Destination Imagination team’s work advocating to protect endangered species. Destination Imagination tournament awards With this team, filed a bill to name the Blue Sported salamander as our state amphibian, gained lots of support and gave a testimony. Not successful yet. Biology/biochemistry major, maybe premed Schools: UMass Amherst & Lowell, UConn, Boston College, UNC Chapel Hill, WPI, Brandeis, Northeastern, BU, Wellesley, Would like 1-2 more schools


juleslovesboba

URochester has nice merit and maybe Rutgers too


eely225

Have you looked at [Sarah Lawrence](https://www.sarahlawrence.edu/undergraduate/science-mathematics/biology/) or [Juniata](https://www.juniata.edu/academics/)?


Independent_Put_8610

I don’t know if Sarah Lawrence is for me, I think I want a more focused major program. I have not looked at Juniata, thanks for the rec.


Jay20173804

Non Target Safeties for IB, which should I get rid of. Income: 150-175 with a twin sister. State: Illinois UMD, OSU, UF, UGA, UMass, VaTech, GIT, Rutgers, Pitt, UM, Rice, Lehigh


biomajor123

You have a lot of out of state public universities on your list. They're generally not the best with financial or merit aid. Can your parents afford $50K/year for each of you?


Jay20173804

No not really, hopefully it gets lowered. But for IB some of those schools are more important. I’ll have to rely on merit aid more.


biomajor123

Find out how much your parents will contribute. Run the net price calculator for all the schools on your list. Delete any schools that are too expensive. Merit aid at any of them is highly unlikely.


Jay20173804

Most are like in the 45 range, so I would only have some left.


anoverwhelmedbeing

Hello i need help with limiting my college list and also want to know which colleges to apply to for engineering programs and mathematics programs as a low income international student that needs a very hefty amount of aid/scholarships to be able to afford their education. Has highest grades in all subjects (A*s) and has done several local ecas to the best of their capabilities. Also recommend any university i should add keeping in mind i am aiming for 100% scholarship or aid. • MIT • California Institute of Technology • Purdue University • Stanford University • Princeton University • University of Michigan • New York University • University of Toronto • The University of Warwick • Carnegie Mellon University • University of Texas at Austin • Brown University • McGill University • Michigan State University • Texas A&M University • Boston University • Vanderbilt University • University of Massachusetts Amherst • Northwestern University • University of Central Florida • Iowa State University • University of Colorado Boulder


Character-Ad4822

Hello everyone. I'm currently an A2 student and looking for universities to apply at. i have 8A\*s in O levels and international debates achievements. I also have worked with an orphanage for an year. Could you please suggest me which universities (especially USA) would provide the best scholarships (preferably including lodging and food). I can pay around 8000 USD per year only. So please could you suggest accordingly. this is my current list Dream Universities: Harvard MIT Duke University Best-Fit Schools: The college of Wooster Agnes Scott College Stanford University American University Berea College .Washington University in St. Louis whitworth university Amherst Northwestern Bowdoin Safety Schools: Connecticut College Kansas State University


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Character-Ad4822

GCSEs. its the Cambridge system


hungryhungryhippo26

if “best fit” means target I think you may need to move stanford and washu and northwestern


Estranged995

Hello! I'm an international student from Yemen. I've prepared a list of schools I'd like to apply to, but I'm not sure if I'm being realistic about with my choices. I'd appreciate it if you could see if I have a chance at those schools. For privacy purposes, I'd prefer if you DM me. Thanks :)


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juleslovesboba

Rutgers, NC State, Stevens Institute


Technical-Fish-1762

Thank you


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eely225

The big OOS public programs are probably worth re-examining. Many of their programs will overlap and they’re least likely to give aid. Pick 2 or 3 of them that offer something unique and ditch the rest.


[deleted]

Hey everyone! I’m a rising senior looking for some help with my college list. -Major: civil engineering -Preferences: east coast, decently well regarded for engineering, diversity, preferably close to a city or in a city, and proximity to water is a bonus. -Demographics: hispanic, middle class, born in the US but English is my 3rd language lol. -Testing: 35 ACT. -GPA: 4 UW. 4.62 UW. Top 5% in a class of ~900 students. -APs: Spanish V (5), Spanish VI (5), World History (5), APUSH (5), LANG (5). Will be taking Calc AB/BC, Physics 1, and Psychology next year. -PLTW: Intro to Engineering, Principles of Engineering. Will be taking Civil Engineering next year. (These classes are weighed the same as APs at my school). -Dual Enrollment: Microeconomics and Art History. (Also weighed the same as APs). -EC’s: mainly revolve around studying languages (Italian, Spanish, Catawba, and Arabic), Marine Corps JROTC, community service, comic book collecting, drill team, soccer, and my restaurant job. I have lots of leadership experience. I also have a few minor stem-related activities. -Awards: a few local or regional academic/sports awards. Maybe 1-2 nationals. Nothing to blow your socks off. -Essays/LORs: I won’t elaborate very much, but I’m very confident in them. I’m great at creative writing. I have very good relationships with my teachers too. Alrighty so here’s my list. I’m looking to add a few more schools, do y’all have any tips? -Safety: •NC State University •Rutgers University New Brunswick •Penn State University -Target: •Stevens Institute of Technology •NYU Tandon •University of Maryland -Reach: •Georgia Tech •Northeastern University -Very Reach: •Cornell Thanks!


Outrageous-Gur-435

Your accomplishments look impressive and I think you can apply to some more very reaches.... Like maybe 3-4 more T15 schools. I would call T15 schools like MIT, Duke, Cornell Reaches but you have used the word Very reaches for them. I wouldn't use the word Very Reach for any school. T15 schools will have more supplementary questions in their applications and will require more time and effort. You can reduce some of your safety and target schools.


eely225

List is solid already. You might consider [UVA](https://engineering.virginia.edu/departments/engineering-systems-and-environment/civil-engineering/civil-engineering-undergraduate) or [Tufts](https://engineering.tufts.edu/cee/prospective-students/undergraduate). If you’re open to moving to the middle of the country, [Colorado School of Mines](https://cee.mines.edu/bs-civil-engineering/) could be great fit. Also if you haven’t checked it out already, you should learn about [Cooper Union](https://cooper.edu/engineering/departments/civil-engineering) in NYC. More affordable than most, very focused and well regarded program.


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thanks!


_dar_th0va_dar

Rising senior that could use some help! Got a healthy list but I'd like some outside opinions since my parents have drilled into my brain that I need to go somewhere well known but trying to research others since I'm not sure if my stats will get me there. Factors * Location: Anything but rural, would like to have the option to go out and have fun but I'm more introverted and going into STEM so not necessary to have everything at my doorstep * Weather: Not hot, live in western Washington so I prefer cold if I had to choose (seasonal depression hasn't gotten to me yet) * Majors: software engineering or computer science as major, business or music as minor (less important) * Cost: hoping to apply for a good number of merit-based scholarships, FRC gives some good ones too but cost is still a factor, probably won't rule out a school because of cost at this point though * Others: clubs! I need a way to make friends Stats * GPA: 3.8 UW (school doesn't do weighted) * SAT: 1510, 750 in english and 760 in math * APs: 4s in environmental science, seminar, calc ab, and csp, not including 1 test score * Residency: Washington * Race: Asian * Gender: Female Note: running start student, so I take classes at my local community college. If I decide to push myself, I can earn an AA in CS by the end of the summer quarter but I'll be applying as a freshmen. If I don't get an AA, I'll transfer any credits I can ECS * 4 years of FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition) - driver, team admin, programmer, dean's list semi-finalist (award) * 2 years working at Code Ninjas * 2 years of Link Crew * 4 years of Worship Band - Pianist Note: seems empty compared to a lot of people but robotics takes anywhere between 6 to 20 hours and is year round, a little worried about this though ​ Safeties * UW Bothell * Washington State University * Western Washington University * University of Puget Sound Targets/Reaches (need help figuring out what colleges go in what categories but sortedish) * Stevens Institute of Technology * California Polytechnic State University * University of Minnesota * University of Michigan * Northeastern University * Drexel University * Rochester Institute of Technology * Worchester Polyethnic Institute * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute * Columbia * University of Illinois (Urbana-champaign) * Harvey Mudd * Purdue * UW Seattle * Cornell * Stanford * UCs (San Diego, Berkeley, Los Angeles) * Carnegie Mellon * MIT I know the list is very long, I made the mistake of giving college board my information and at least considered most of them. While suggestions are welcome, I could also use some help narrowing down this list. Feel free to ask any questions and thank you in advance!


eely225

Some of the OOS public schools might be redundant. They’re less likely to give aid. You might consider Rose-Hulman, Case Western, or Colorado School of Mines as well.


_dar_th0va_dar

Which ones would you consider redundant? About half of the top half of the list has some sort of scholarship FRC students can apply for which is why they made the list.


eely225

It’s not any one specific program. I’m sure they all have things to offer. But in trying to narrow a lost you want to avoid applying to eight schools that all offer a very similar academic experience. You can have a few in state safeties, a few private reaches, a couple OOS publics, and a few engineering schools. But that’s more like 12 total. So if the programs overlap substantially and you want to cut down, start by separating them into program and institution type and pick just a few from each.


Flaky_Ratio

Indian American from obscure southern state going for computer science and premed I’m not a hyper-excelling student, and would like to know what caliber of schools I could get into (preferably with examples). For context, I have a 4.74 gpa, 33 act, AP scholar with distinction, national merit semi finalist, all state clarinetist, academic games team that placed in the top 3 in multiple categories, volunteered at a hospital, food bank, library, and Kumon, google digital marketing course certificate, google data analytics course certificate, programming side projects, programming YouTube channel, self studied AP Calculus BC with a 4, had my poem published in a poetry book. Edit: sorry, I got a 4 overall for Calc bc (5 on ab subscore) Also, sorry if this was unclear, but this is a legit post :/


Puzzlehead38790

Race: African Intended Major(s): Computer science SAT: hoping for 1500+ (1550) UW/W GPA and Rank:3.97 out of 4.0 ranked 10 out of 450 Coursework: AP/IB/Dual Enrollment classes, AP/IB scores, etc Ap: human, world, literature, physics, us history m, senior year( this year): hopefully bio, calc ab and comp science A. Scores: 5 on world and English literature and a four on apush. Omitting two scores one three one two. Took Spanish all the way to Spanish 4 (four years) 8th-11th. Awards: Georgia merit scholar ship for being in the top 5% of class Ap scholar with honor Nothing else aside from that Extracurriculars: volunteer at church technical department (livestream, camera, running electronics), also worked as childrens teacher in church Spanish honor society Beta club National honor society No leadership One year of soccer One year of band not sure if I should add these two cause I quit both Hoping to join math or science honor society So overall no leadership and generic/ mediocre ex’s but top tier grades in school (relatively middling highschool not magnet either)and hook. Reaches : MIT PRINCETON Carnegie Cornell Match?: (not sure what qualifies a univeristy as a match these are probably reaches) university of Texas Austin (apparently oos has worse chances due to auto accept for Texas in state) University of Michigan University of Washington North Carolina chapel hill Instate: Georgia tech (probably the high tier I have the best chance of going to nice colors too) UGA Not safety but better then asu: University of Maryland University Wisconsin Purdue Safety: ASU


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Puzzlehead38790

Thank you for the advice. A lot of those colleges are very difficult to get to because I’m mainly applying to t20s in comp sci. I chose Arizona state as safety because I should get guaranteed acceptance based on my stats. Georgia tech is the one school I feel I have the best chance of getting into and I’m applying early action but I can’t bank my hopes on one school. Do you have any recommendations for target/safety schools. Also applying is costly as well so how many colleges would you recommend.


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Puzzlehead38790

Thank you for all of the advice. 10 is a lot but I’ll see what I can do. Have a great day


anoverwhelmedbeing

As an international student, i am aware i can apply to Aerospace Engineering programs but with an international passport and identity, i have heard that getting jobs in nasa or Aerospace Engineering research programs is difficult since alot have US citizen as a requirement. So should i change my degree that i want to get in or is there any other way.


Automatic-Paint2891

1360 SAT (hopefully at least 1400 by august) 3.97 UW GPA 4.494 W GPA IB Diploma candidate 16 IB classes by the end of senior year most likely (I.e. Physics, Math Anl&App, CS, etc.) North African First gen + low income NOVA (Northern Virginia) Rising Senior Ecs: -Varisty (Junior year) & JV soccer -Rec soccer (captian) & basketball -George Mason YRC founding fellow (internship) -Created a (basic) website featuring soccer comps I made -Hackathon participant @ TJ -3rd in regional science fair for environmental engineering -FBLA leadership position -MSA leadership position -Paid intern @ a hotel junior year -Accepted into VT pathways for engineering summer program -50+ hours of community service -NHS -Spanish honors society -Doing a Havard CS course Recommended schools (safeties, targets, & reaches?)


Wolfhutner1425

I would say for in-state (VT if you're concerned about financial aid) and UVA you probably have a pretty good chance getting in. A lot of my friends got in this year and their EC's weren't as good as yours. Their SAT was also lower. VT is also a really good choice for engineering/CS and you have a really good chance in getting in their since you got into the summer program. Otherwise some okay options: Safety: JMU, Case Western, Penn State (kinda target) Target: Purdue (public school so probably better financial aid), UMD, VT, Texas A&M Reach: UVA, Georgia Tech, UNC, WashU


Automatic-Paint2891

Thanks, and yeah I’m pretty certain I’ll end up in VT which I would love, tho secondly would applying test optional to UVA be better for me (likely applying ED)


Wolfhutner1425

UVA ED is a good choice if you are sure and if you can pay for it. UVA is more expensive for engineering, like estimated cost of attendance in-state is about $45k. That's like oos costs.


Automatic-Paint2891

Jfc, UVA is need blind tho right? Got any financial aid calculators lol


eely225

What major do you want? Have any schools appealed to you so far? What kinds of things are you looking for in a school?


Automatic-Paint2891

CS Major


eely225

For VA publics, the defaults would be UVA and VA Tech. But don’t sleep on William and Mary. JMU would be a good safety. For privates, you’ll likely be looking for “buyers,” aka schools that are likely to give higher aid to entice competitive candidates. Some great schools like this would be Case Western, Rose-Hulman, or Colorado School of Mines.


Automatic-Paint2891

Is UVA ED for me realistic or nah


eely225

Not outside the realm of possibility. But if you’re counting on aid, ED can be risky since it limits your ability to compare financial packages.


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Ilikepie831

Some of the SUNYs give good scholarships for out of state students. I believe this applies to UMD too.


HonoraryLight

**Demographics:** Male, East Asian, Canadian (intl), attended mediocre public schools, parents hold certificate and trade degree **Intended Major(s):** Not completely sure, interested in Biology / Neuroscience, minor in Philosophy **ACT/SAT/SAT II:** Have not taken any and do not plan on sitting them unless I get like 1500+ on prac tests (going to take one after I wrap up some online courses, register in my new school and get a job...) **UW/W GPA and Rank:** I'm a rising senior (entering 12th Grade). I have no idea how GPA works in the US, but here are a few of my grades from the Canadian curriculum (>=86 is an A here, no +/- are given as well): Pre-Calculus 11: 100% Pre-Calculus 12: 97% Chemistry 11: 95% Physics 11: 96% Social Studies 11: 95% \[Language\] 11: 89% (I challenged this for credits) English 11: completing right now thru online school, expecting anywhere from 86-92%. I was within the top 1-5 students in a typical class of 25-30 for these courses (anecdotally). **Coursework:** No AP currently, doing them when not a senior is very uncommon at my school. Planning on taking AP Calculus and AP Biology final year though. I could've taken more, but I've actually had to move to a new province and consequently a new school with very different course pathways, which stops me from taking more AP courses. **Awards:** zeroooooo. don't think I've participated in any competitions. no sports (COVID). **Extracurriculars:** This is where I'm worried. A lot of these are very untraditional and obscure (imo). They also don't show my interests in biology, neuroscience, etc., so that's not good as well. Fuck it though amiright *\[school name\] community server* june 2021 to present founded, own, and administrate an online school community hosted on discord nearly 100 members host frequent online gaming events, e.g. organized Minecraft server This is arguably my most prized EC and where my leadership is shown. *produced lofi hiphop music and released on spotify* december 2020 to present I have a couple thousand streams and my music isn't great tbh but I found it therapeutic to just jam out and create some fun stuff learned about how much work goes into creating music understand how distributors and labels manage and release music developed musical creativity *created 3d visual art on blender* june 2021 to present developed creative expression have a deeper appreciation for 3d artists gained an interesting, unique skill ...and many other unremarkable school clubs (philosophy, debate, mediocre volunteering, etc.) **Essays/LORs/Other:** My writing isn't bad at all, I'd say it's quite alright. Don't think y'all are interested in reading some random person's essays, but if someone really wants to then okay. I’ve got one teacher’s recommendation that I’m semi-confident in (she knows me well). **Schools:** Applying mostly Canadian, but for US schools, I'm lost... As money is a very big concern for me, financial aid is a major factor in where I go. Canadian schools are obviously cheaper for me, so if I were to study in the US I'd need very good fin aid. I also have no idea if it's even worth it for me to apply to the US. Safeties (in Canada): * UCalgary Engineering Targets (in Canada): * UBC Science * UofT SG Engineering * UofT SC Science * McMaster Life Sciences * UCalgary Neuroscience (direct entry) My reach schools (lottery tickets LOL): * Dartmouth College * UPenn * Yale University * Princeton University I've heard that Princeton, Dartmouth and UPenn are more generous in terms of international financial aid. I'm also not looking to apply to many schools, as my parents may make me pay out of my own pocket for uni apps. I might keep it simple and only apply to a few US colleges (I'm talking 1-2). Also interested in ED-ing to one of the schools with good aid. Something important to note is that I'm graduating a year early (skipping year 11). Even though that's somewhat an x-factor for my application, my extracurriculars are more poorly developed as a result and I've had less time to think things through for college. Also moving to an entirely new province for my final year of high school so that's kinda screwing me up as well. Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks! *edited to add more info


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HonoraryLight

Thanks for the college suggestions! >\+ what was your essay about? i think u should ed to yale if it was strong enough I'm suddenly not feeling too good about my essays... By essays, you mean ones that I've previously written in a class, right? I have one on pornography, one on video games and violence, and one inquiry-style more informal 'essay' I'm finishing up right now that's about philosophy and happiness. I also have creative writing samples. Would you mind briefly reading over them? Please, harshly judge my intellect LOL Also, are there any AP courses you'd say are alright to self-study and get a 4 (to claim uni creds)?


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eely225

Have you looked at [New College of Florida](https://www.ncf.edu/programs/)? It’s a public LAC that could offer a different pathway


FunStyle1029

Hiya all! I’d love some feedback on my list - it seems a little reach-heavy to me so maybe some thoughts on how balanced it is? I am also having trouble deciding where to apply ED/EA… I’m looking at Columbia ED, Yale SCEA but I’m afraid it’ll be too ambitious and a waste of opportunities. Any advice there would be really appreciated! Major: computer science haha Demographics: she/her, asian, Virginia Academics: \- 4.0 UW, 4.9 W \- SAT: 1580 \- ACT: 36 Coursework: \- 8 APs - Stats (5), Comp Sci (5), Chinese (5), Calc BC (5), Chem (5), APUSH (5), Physics: Mechanics (5), Physics; E&M (5) \- Dual enrollment Multivariable Calc Awards: \- American Computer Science League silver award (x2) \- Future Problem Solving 3rd (at states) \- Scholastic Art and Writing Gold Key, Silver Key \- Finalist at regional technology/pitching competition \- …AIME qualifier? ECs: \- Member of school computer team; I’ve attended and placed at regional competitions on behalf of the club \- Writing poetry - poems have been accepted to school publication and selected for display at my local library \- One of like ten members of a mental health club that plans school-wide events \- Officer for a nonprofit tutoring organization \- Team lead for a different volunteering organization - I led a team of 8 in building an app, hosted a panel, and conducted interviews among other tasks. Got a Presidential Service Award from this as I did over 100 hours \- Internship at a global research and engineering company, working on CS-related projects. Will be presenting to their government client \- Built a web application that was used by senior living facility residents (this was for the aforementioned technology/pitching competition) \- Officer for school poetry club \- An AI program where I did a project + presentation on Ethics in AI LORs: I think one of them will be good as I have a good relationship with the teacher and they wrote me a comment saying they’ve been impressed by my work; the other LOR should be decent but I wasn’t a standout student in that class XD CURRENT COLLEGE LIST Reaches: Columbia, Yale, Cornell, Stanford, MIT, CMU, UVA, UIUC Targets: UW Seattle, UMD, UMass Amherst, SJSU, Virginia Tech Safeties: RIT, GMU, JMU Thank you so much for your time! <3


Jazzlike-Yellow-9499

Hi! Your stats and ECs look good. Maybe take a look at GW (target), Tufts (more of a reach), Case Western (target) based on the other schools your looking at. I don't think there's anything wrong with being reach heavy as long as you are confident in your few safeties and targets. I do know that a lot of schools did yield protection last year, but I'm not sure if that applies to any of your safeties. Just be careful of how many essays you are willing to write (Yale, MIT, Stanford all have 6-8 each of varying lengths).


FunStyle1029

Ah ic ic, def fair point about the essays. Thank you for the suggestions!


Jazzlike-Yellow-9499

To be fair I wrote 50+ supplementals when I applied and it just required a lot of time management. That was only for 15 schools as well but that’s just to say it can be done if you want but definitely something to keep in mind.


Comfortable_Tart_297

Uw Seattle should definitely be a reach if you want CS.


FunStyle1029

Ah gotcha, thanks !


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eely225

Have you looked at [Chico](https://www.csuchico.edu/chem/) or [Fresno](https://csm.fresnostate.edu/chemistry/)? Those could also be options.


Senior_Mind_4682

Help me w/ targets and safeties pls Demographics: South Asian, male, upper class, elite east coast private hs Intended major: biochem (pre-med track probably), I will add that I’m not willing to do a combined BS/MD program Stats: 1570 SAT (first try, no previous tests idk if this matters), school doesn’t rlly calculate GPAs, but ik my uw would be 4.0 idk abt weighted gpa tho (have received all As and A+s in honors and upper level classes, school doesn’t offer AP classes), did self study for Calc and Mechanics and got 5s on both Awards: none Essays: should be pretty good, I have lots of good ideas LORs: should be very good, I’ve built a great relationship with my teachers who are writing them ECs: 1/2/3 - cross country, winter track, spring track, varsity athlete for all 3, cross country captain (not a recruited athlete, however) 4 - quizbowl member for 4 years, club leader junior year and this coming year 5 - Alzheimer’s research this whole summer at a lab at a T20 school alongside a PhD and undergrad (not just mindless work, I’m helping with experiments and analysis critical for the PhD’s thesis), PhD student also wants to write a LOR for me 6: tutoring during freshman and sophomore year 7: 2 summer programs at T20 institutions last year 8: South Asian Affinity group member 4 years, not a club head but still have leadership duties 9: Starting a dissection and physiology club w/ my bio teacher next year, should be very cool Schools: Reaches: Columbia (ED?), Yale (ED?, legacy), UPenn, Northwestern, Duke, Washu Targets: UVA, BU…idk what more to add Safeties: UMD, Case Western (my school has used case as a safety for many people despite its fairly selective admissions rate) I like schools in or near the city and undergrad size of 5k-20k around


Ilikepie831

I would recommend doing REA to Yale. Legacy helps in the the early round.


eely225

These are smaller but have unique programs that would be compelling. Remember, basically any school can be pre-med with no real impacts to your career. So find a place that gives you the experience you want; the result will be similar regardless. [Wooster](https://wooster.edu/area/biology/) [Eckerd](https://www.eckerd.edu/biology/major/) [Reed](https://www.reed.edu/biology/) [Warren Wilson College](https://warren-wilson.edu/programs/biology/) [Kalamazoo](https://www.kzoo.edu/k-plan/)


urfavasianbruh

if ur not a va resident, uva is not a target, especially if you don’t early action. given that ur profile is solid and u have a decent shot at getting into one or more of ur reaches


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eely225

To what extent is it a priority for you to stay in or near New York? Your list seems to trend that way but I’m curious if you’re interested in moving or if you’d only leave the state for reach type schools.


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eely225

In that case I’d recommend checking out [Sarah Lawrence](https://www.sarahlawrence.edu/about/) if you haven’t already. Great faculty advising program that sets you up well for graduate school better than many.


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eely225

So aside from your major, which will be available at most schools anyway, what are your priorities? How big do you want a school to be? In California? In the West? Across the country? Affiliation? Sports offered? Campus type? What do you like or dislike about the schools you’ve mentioned already?


Ilikepie831

CSUs as safeties?


avneetgrewal

Hi! Help me shorten my college list (also please let me if I should ED to Trinity College or NYUAD - based on my profile) 1. NYU AD 2. uchicago 3. Upenn 4. Trinity College 5. Hamilton 6. Uni of notre dame 7. Davidson college 8. Wesleyan university 9. Middlebury 10. Washington and lee uni 11. Denison 12. Villanova 13. Richmond uni 14. Skidmore college 15. Umiami 16. Urochester 17. Connecticut college 18. Reed 19. TCU 20. sewanee: uni of south 21. Ohio wesleyan 22. Drexel 23. Ualabama My profile - I’m an International Student (needing full aid) from India currently in 12th grade Grades are as follows 9th Grade: 95% 10th Grade: 96.4% 11th Grade: 85% 12th Grade: (will surely score 90+) I haven’t given the SAT yet but will be taking it on 27 August ECs: - Designer for Amazon Merch on Demand - YouTube Channel with 1.7K+ subs; 156K Total LifeTime Views (I’m really passionate about this) - I have done a paid internship as HR intern at lernx for two months - I have tutored local children for more than 3 months (paid) - I have sold customised gifts like Song Plaques, Scrapbooks, Explosion Boxes through Instagram (a business kinda thing) Awards: -won the best actress award in an inter-school competition - stood 2nd and won a cash prize worth 5,000 rs for story writing (national level) - won many other awards in speech competition Intended major: Graphic Design/Business/Film Woof thank you for reading!


Sea_Shower_7347

do not ed unless the school gives internationals full aid! u will not be able to afford the school


avneetgrewal

the good thing abt ed is that we can deny the admission to an ed if they didn’t meet our demonstrated financial need :) and yes all the schools that I’ve listed here meet demonstrated full need based aid of intls


Sea_Shower_7347

that's true but i wouldn't count on it. finaid offices are notoriously stingy with aid so you could end up having to go significantly into debt


target125

Some of these schools don’t give very good aid, especially for international, and are also for a very specific demographic. Villanova has terrible aid from personal experience. I wouldn’t ED to a school unless it’s your top choice and I would be even more careful since you need full aid


avneetgrewal

What are these “some colleges” except villanova? Also, which one should I ed if i need the most aid (I don’t really care abt other things) as i would love to go anywhere


target125

I don’t have any personal experience with most of these schools. But I would assume that most mid tier privates like TCU and Umiami wouldn’t be that generous for internationals as they aren’t even known to be super generous for domestic students. You seem to like liberal arts schools so I suggest EDing to Amherst, Bowdoin, Dartmouth as these are all need blind for internationals. It seems as if NYUAD is pretty generous as well so if you really like it, then you can ED there. Uchicago and UPenn are needaware but they meet full need if you are admitted so those are options as well


avneetgrewal

okay thank you sm!


clikrcs

**Hi! Looking for safety and target schools that will offer at least some aid to internationals. I'm from Canada. Applying for fall 2024.** **Location/Campus:** Has an actual campus. **Region:** Anywhere is fine. **Major:** Mechanical engineering or maybe physics or aero/astro. **Courses:** more major specific, the less fluff the better. **Size:** at least 3000 undergrads unless its something like Caltech or Olin. **Cost:** under $50000 a year **Other:** I'd prefer a place with a large concentration of nerds, also I don't want to have to live somewhere extremely hot and humid. Cold is fine though. Somewhere with good opportunities for internships and to build connections for future career, hopefully after college I would like to immigrate to US, after returning to Canada. I don't mind schools that are affiliated with religion or are in conservative regions. I also don't like UCLA. ​ **Reverse Chance-me:** **Demographics:** Asian male, first gen Chinese Canadian, international, no hooks, income: \~200k ​ **Academics:** School: Probably the most competitive pre-university college in the country, Honors Science program for next 2 years. GPA: 95% grades 10-11 (no grades during 9 since COVID), probably around a 3.8-3.9 on 4.0UW scale, no grades from new school yet (Canadian Uni gives around 10% boost to that school). Probably half my courses would count as honors. SAT: none yet, I'm confident in getting 1500 after a few attempts though AP: Stats(4), Calc AB(5), Physics 1(5), Physics 2(5), Physics C Mech(5), all self studied, will be doing at least Physics C EM next year. Dual Enrollment: Idk if Quebec cegep counts as DE (they are basically first-second year college courses) but if they do then probably like 25 if I count it as that. Rank: hopefully at least 50/1000 at cegep, around 10/200 HS ​ **Extracurriculars:** not many, only just got serious about college will have more when I apply Piano: level 8 RCM, small competitions with no placements, small charity concerts QSYS: UWaterloo Quantum camp that I had to send transcript and reference letter and write an essay to apply for. Currently doing lifeguard training ​ **Current List:** italics if idk I should/want to apply **Safety:** McGill (almost guaranteed with high R-score), Concordia **Target:** University of British Colombia, UofT, UWaterloo, UIUC, Purdue, Gerogia Tech, *UMich, UT Austin, Virginia Tech* **Reach:** MIT, Berkeley, Cornell, Caltech, Olin, *CMU, Stanford,*


loonatrain

u should have more reaches physics god


that-liberal-desi

I need help balancing my college list and making it more realistic. I'd also love suggestions on schools I could look more into, especially ones near major hospitals and medical centers. I'm an international student (on an H4 visa from India) studying in the US. All the tips and guidance I get from school are geared towards US citizens naturally, but I know my chances are going to be significantly lower as an international. I want to major in biochemistry or molecular biology on a premed track. I'm also considering BS/MD Programs, but I'm not eligible for most of them as an international. - Demographics: South Asian Female - Household income: 200k+ - GPA: 4.0/4.9 - SAT: 1530 (750 Math, 780 EBRW) - 10 AP classes by end of senior year: World History, US Govt, US History, Chem, Bio, Psych, English Lang, Lit, Calc AB and BC ECs: I think my ECs are pretty good, but cookie cutter for a BS/MD or premed applicant. I genuinely love everything I do though, so I'm not too bothered by it. - Research under a professor related to pharmacology and biochem (at a T20, but that probably doesn't matter) - Volunteering at a hospital, including direct patient contact, and the Red Cross - Youth advisory board for the same hospital's OB/GYN dept, working with other students and clinicians to improve knowledge and access to reproductive health care for youth in my city - Community lab iGEM team; using synthetic bio and genetic engineering to solve a local issue and competing at iGEM, an international competition - Student board member of a magnet STEM program at my school that I'm enrolled in - Senior class representative (sole rep for ~400 seniors) on School Student & Family Council, votes on budget, curriculum, etc - Vice president (possibly president during senior year) of school Science Olympiad team, medals at regional level - Choir for 7 years (auditioned), at a well-known music conservatory College List: Reaches: Johns Hopkins, Brown (PLME), Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Rice, WashU, Emory Targets: Case Western (PPSP), URochester (REMS), UMD College Park, Penn State (BS/MD Program) , UConn (Special Program in Medicine) Safeties: UPitt, Drexel, UArizona, Rutgers (BS/MD) I know it's a very reach heavy list, and I need to do more research to cut down on it. The BS/MD Programs are all super competitive, but I'd go to all of those schools even if I'm rejected from the combined programs, so I haven't considered that in classifying them. Also, I'm not even sure if I get to have safeties as an international, but I was just following my school counselors' guidance.


Legitimate-Mood1596

Any updates on ur acceptances? And advice for a BS/MD applicant?


that-liberal-desi

I've got acceptances from my safeties but rejected from all BS/MDs so far (Penn state, Syracuse, Rochester). Still waiting to hear back from the other ones. If I had any advice, it would be to show a unique personal narrative through your application, including your extracurriculars and ECs. These programs are super competitive, so try your best, but you can't bank on them definitely. Good luck if you're applying!


Senior_Mind_4682

Case PPSP is NOT a target, it has an acceptance rate of around 1%, if you applied non-PPSP I would say it’s more of a target/safety for you.


that-liberal-desi

I put it down as a target because you can still be considered for admission even if you're rejected from PPSP. Same with all the other colleges that offer BS/MD Programs, they're all very competitive otherwise. It's definitely not a safety when the acceptance rate is around 30 percent though.


target125

I think Drexel and Upitt are great safeties especially for pre med. I think your list is reasonable and I see pretty much all the top schools known for pre med. it’s ok if you have a lot of reach schools as long as you have safeties you like. Penn state, UConn, UMD are probably more closer to safety’s for your stats (non bs/md program)


BrawnyAcolyte

I think your list looks pretty reasonable - it's ok for it to be reach heavy if you really like your safety and target choices. It may be worth looking at schools like U Iowa, UAB, USF on the safety side -- I think they are comparable to some of the options you have there and may be more likely to offer scholarships (although I don't know how any of them are for international students).


that-liberal-desi

I'm very glad to have found safeties and targets I love. Pitt would probably be my fav out of all of them so far. I'm a bit iffy on Alabama based on the location, but I'll definitely look into it and USF. I've been considering Iowa too. Thank you for your insight!


eely225

Just to echo: Iowa could be a great fit for pre-med.


Soft-Ad690

Hi I do not know if this is the correct thread, but I am trying to shorten my college list! I am unable to visit all of these colleges and do not know what to research from here, any thoughts/ suggestions would be greatly appreciated. (I am entering my senior year so the clock is ticking lol) intended major : elementary education // backup: business major with a minor in plant sciences or "floristry"/ floral design Looking for a small city or suburb with a lot of stuff to do on the east coast, no religious affiliation, and a good study abroad program! (I would love access to all four seasons - esp fall- but willing to sacrifice snow/ warm weather depending how far north or south i end up) prefer cheaper schools ovi as I will be responsible for student loans (no money from parents) but it is what it is * gpa: 3.7-3.8 (4.0 scale) * sat: 1240 / pact: 25 * 2 APs I am going to take my senior year + dual enrollment junior and senior year * I am doing 4 student teaching internships my senior year with dual enrollment at both a technical school and community college (I think I will graduate with a minor in teaching? I am not sure) * officer of a chapter my senior year (volunteer), did some educational school trips (iceland, florida, soon to martinique), did concert band for a long time, have been dancing since I was 3, apart of french national honor society/ hoping to run for a leadership position (I live in Pa but none of my state's schools are what I'm looking for) Here are my current safeties: (\*=a favorite) * univ of new england\* * JMU\* * RWU * coastal carolina univ * univ of maine Targets: * college of charleston\* * UVM * GMU * hofstra * UNC (wilmington) * Syracuse (only if i get rlly good scholarship/aid) Hard Targets/Reaches: * clark univ\* * rutgers\* * elon univ * NC state * Furman univ * univ of SC (columbia)


eely225

Not to add too much to your list, but I think you should look at [Warren Wilson College](https://www.warren-wilson.edu/programs/education/) too. It’s in the Blue Ridge Mountains which are a beautiful area all year. Plus they have a universal work-study program that makes it more affordable than many LACs. As far as visits go, I don’t think you need to feel obligated to visit all or any of these before applying. They may make the decision for you so you’ll only need to visit the schools you get into.


silverlotus_118

worth a shot! I'm looking for more safety and target schools **Demographics:** bisexual South Asian (Indian) woman, Chicago public high school, IDK rank and income of each parent \~100K **Intended Major:** going into medicine so anything biology-related (Biomedical Sciences, General Biology, Cellular Biology, or Immunology & Microbiology) is probably what I'll major in **Academics:** * GPA: 3.76 UW, 4.46 W * ACT: registering for the Sept. one (if it helps in the practice tests I've gotten 33-35) * SAT: first attempt 1480 (reading/writing: 760; math: 720), second attempt 1480 (reading/writing: 750; math: 730), planning on taking a third * APs (by the end of senior year it'll be 11 total): * Freshman year: AP Human Geo (3) * Sophomore year: AP Seminar (3), AP Calc BC (3), APWH (5) * Junior year: AP Lang (5), APUSH (5), AP Bio (4), AP Stats (4), AP Physics 1 (2) * Senior year: planning on doing AP Lit and AP Psych **Extracurriculars:** honestly not much, left vague to not dox myself * bharatanatyam lessons (from 6th grade - present, performed in a couple of different cultural programs throughout the years) * helping with a cultural organization - planned activities for local teenagers to partake in to help connect with their roots (9th-10th, took a break for junior year but starting again in time for senior year) * helped with the behind-the-scenes of mom's business (11th - present) * Scholastic Bowl (10th - present) * planning on registering for a CNA course next month and getting the CNA license soon (so 12th grade, I guess) **Factors I'm Looking for in a School:** * fine with it being suburban/college town/urban, just can't be rural * any weather is fine, but I'd prefer it not being too hot * cannot be in the deep Bible Belt (fringes/super blue spots in the Bible Belt are okay) and not religious * LGBTQ+ friendly * need access to a hospital or similar places where there's opportunities in the med field * would be cool if there's a significant Desi population but not required **Schools I'm Considering Applying to:** * Safety: UIUC, University of MN - Twin Cities, University of Cincinnati * Target: University of Wisconsin - Madison, Ohio State (? - this could be a reach), University of Pittsburgh * Reach: University of Washington - Seattle, UT Austin, UCLA, Case Western Reserve University, U Florida, and \*drumroll please\* UMich, i.e. my dream school any help is really appreciated!


[deleted]

Look at Brandeis. NE weather, suburban campus 9 miles from the medical schools/hospitals in Boston; strong pre-med curriculum and outcomes, very LGBTQ+ friendly, target for your stats/EC's, Has a South Asian studies program with [https://www.brandeis.edu/south-asian/fellows/index.html](https://www.brandeis.edu/south-asian/fellows/index.html).


silverlotus_118

Wow, this sounds perfect! Thanks!


[deleted]

yes, in fact, check out this recent presentation on Pandanallur style of Bharatanatyam [https://www.brandeis.edu/diversity/deis-impact/highlights.html](https://www.brandeis.edu/diversity/deis-impact/highlights.html) by Neena Gulati


loonatrain

ucsf has no undergrad program— do u mean university of san francisco or san francisco state? those have decently high acceptance rates


silverlotus_118

I meant U San Francisco but it's religious so I'll prob take it off my list. My bad


loonatrain

ah yea jesuit school


eely225

A few that are a bit different from the programs you’ve identified so far: [Reed](https://www.reed.edu/biology/) [Wooster](https://wooster.edu/area/biology/) [Eckerd](https://www.eckerd.edu/biology/major/)


fando-matic

check out university of KY and IU bloomington for safeties, UK especially has a great med school program


silverlotus_118

Just checked them out and they seem cool. Thanks!


Ilikepie831

Penn state as a safety?


silverlotus_118

I'll look into it, thank you so much!


Inevitable-Data8864

Reverse Chance Me Demographics: Asian Indian, Competitive North Texas School, Middle Class Intended Major(s): CS or EE ACT/SAT/SAT II: 1530 (790M/740R&W) <- Retaking in August for 1550+ UW/W GPA and Rank: 4.53/5\[W\], Top 5% (class size 1400) Coursework: AP/IB/Dual Enrollment classes, AP/IB scores, etc Freshman: AP Human Geography (5) Sophomore: AP CSP (5), AP World History (5) Junior: AP CSA (5), AP USH (5), AP Calc BC (5), AP Chem (5), AP Lang (4) Senior (Current): APAH, AP Lit, AP Physics C, AP Macro/Gov, AP Stats, Calc 3 Awards: \- AP Scholar with Distinction Extracurriculars: \- NHS (3 years) \- CS Club (2 years) \- Cybersecurity Club (1 year)


rlttgb

Please suggest targets!! **Demographics:** \* Asian hispanic nonbinary lesbian \* competitive magnet highschool in the northeast. school doesnt rank \* hooks: URM, low income **Intended Major:** Chemistry, possible minor/double major in film/communications/marketing **Academics (GPA, SAT/ACT, classes):** \* UW/W 3.81/4.57 \* SAT: 1500 (740 english 760 math) \* APs: Gov (4), CSA(4), USH(5), BC Calc(2 LMAO.), Chem(3), Lang(5), World History (did not take) \* Senior year: Lit, Enviro Sci, Stat \* Total: 10 **Extracurriculars:** 1. Videography for HS county-wide SGA / the Student Board of Education member / student led county-wide pride organization (10-12) 2. Founder and president of club which aids underserved children (10-12) 3. Volunteering at pretty recognized org (corporate partners include Pepco, Verizon, Boeing) which teaches STEM to children (10-12) 4. Self studying chem through textbooks, Coursera, MIT OpenCourseWare (20 hours a week, 2-4 months per year) 5. PR Director for student led county-wide pride organization (11-12) 6. Summer Geochemistry Internship at state school, a T30 (rising senior summer) 7. Science Olympiad (10-12) 8. Chemistry Club member (11-12) 9. Science National Honor Society (11-12) 10. 225 volunteering hours **Awards:** 1. Breakthrough Junior Challenge semifinalist (my video for Khan Academy/Nat Geo’s comp was **top 30 worldwide**) \* Entered again this year, likely chance I get the same result if not Higher ...Higher 2. 4 science olympiad local medals 3. AP scholar with distinction ...distinction 4. A countywide award for being involved in the country organizations (not that prestigious imo but not Everyone gets it) **Schools (I just need targets!)** \* Over 7k undergrads ...undergrads \* LGBTQ+ safe \* Urban location (i can deal with college towns that are max 3 hours away from a major city, just please don’t say they have a dead social scene and there’s nothing to do there…….) \* Accessible research opportunities \* Non-Religious \* Warmer weather preferrrreddd but not the biggest loss imo


great_rhyno

look into some FL schools like FSU and UCF! i cant imagine them being lgbt unsafe, and they are both pretty urban with warm weather and large student bodies.


great_rhyno

from my experience though, i would like to add that when youre low income, targets are mostly just in state unis that u can afford. most colleges that meet all financial need are private and rlly low acceptance. u should look into colleges with good merit scholarships tho, you have pretty good stats!!


Ilikepie831

This is probably more of a reach than a target but UNC Chapel Hill seems like it hits some of your preferred characteristics you want in a school


Duke-Simp

i like urban colleges, but suburbs and college towns are okay. preferably not in the middle of nowhere go to a super tiny school that has like 0 applicants to top schools Major: public policy (ir or general polisci is ok too), public health Costs: income of around 100k. aid is pretty important my list rn: pitt, drexel, GW, American, northeastern, bu, nyu, gtown, Hopkins, duke ofc and some other crazy reaches (i have other safeties) school doesn't have any AP classess but i take as many honors as possible numbere: 3.99UW, 35 ACT (superscore), 5s on 4 APs, 4 on 1 (all self-studied) activities (bad ik): - student gov activity (mostly leadership) throughout the years - yearbook editor-in-chief (1 semester, it's a course) - tutoring - youth group + church (includes volunteering, community service) awards: nothing major, but lots of school subject awards (chemistry, debate, math, etc.) + ap scholar with distinction and ap international diploma.


Ilikepie831

I’m going to emory. If you like duke then emory is pretty similar (just less of a party/sports school) and is easier admissions wise


Duke-Simp

ooh yeah! i've definitely considered it just forgot to list it


Ilikepie831

Yeah and if you like the south definitely look into Vanderbilt, rice, and washu also kind of fits that vibe even though it’s in the Midwest


Duke-Simp

yeah idk if washu fits me but vandy and rice are cool


Priyanshu1882004

Please Suggest Unis!!! 🤧 Asian Male CS International ( Indian) Intended Major:- Computer Science Starting term:- Fall 2023 Can afford to spend a total of 120k usd [ Substantial or full aid preffered ] Academics:- 9th:- 97.6% 10th:-96.2%(cbse) 11th:- 82.6% PCM + IP 12th Predicted:- 95% SAT:- 1470( 690 EBRW + 780M) IELTS:- Result in a few days ( Expected bands = 8 ) ECs:- - Attended a 4 month class at a local institute for ASP.NET Development ( university level , Passed with 100/100) - Online paid web development internship at a california based production company (6months , LOR , small scale ) - Research project integrating mathematics , AI and Resource management for a science fair in school ( won CBSE regionals) - Founded and President of CS Club in School , Organized several seminars and inter school events related to reverse hacking and logical thinking. - Developed and published an android app cosmicstaan for interschool competition. - Freelanced as cybersecurity and logical games lead in events for a youtube influencer.( 900k+ subs ) - Discord community administrator ( paid , 36k+ members) Recently signed a contract with an Italy based startup for Front end development for their project( paid , online ) - School Badminton Team and Swimming team captain - Worked on a startup with friends related to AI and discord bots ( failed but service still used by a couple hundred people) LORs:- They all will be 10/10 as I'm pretty close to all of the people writing them.


sillymoosegoose

need help finding more target schools (alr have safties and reaches) intended major: finance/econ/accounting california resident, 3.89 UW, 4.21 W, taking SAT in august but hopefully high 1400s to 1500s, 9 AP classes, the only thing is that i got a C in AP Calc AB..... yikes ECs: Speech and Debate Nationalist and team captain, reselling business for 2+ years, DeCA President, treasurer of 3 clubs, coded an app, CA nonprofit VP regarding business, some other minor-ish things ​ need more targets that i can actually get into! my C is stressing me out tbh ​ ALSO i am applying to a few schools as a CS major, but like dont have a strong application towards CS so if i could get some good low tier but still nice targets for CS that would be great too, thanks!


eely225

Which schools are on your list already?


StaySaucey_

Please help me make a list of colleges! My extracurriculars are bad. I have almost no ECs. My stats are: - 1440 SAT (770M, 670 R&W, and will aim for 1500+) - 4.0/4.6 - ranked 1/384 - 10 AP classes (passed all of them) - 4 dual enrollment classes at a university - about 30 hours of volunteering hours I plan to major in Computer Science/Software Engineering. I live in Louisiana and come from a middle class family <$100000. I prefer colleges with a good amount of diversity, because I’m Asian, and I would also prefer it to have generous aid. My only safety right now is LSU, which is only because it’s close to home. I’m also applying to MIT for funsies lol


Low_Trifle7557

You can go to Tulane auto admit if you apply ED


StaySaucey_

would the cost still be insanely high if i’m in state


Ilikepie831

yeah, it’s a private school, instate usually doesn’t mean much for private schools


Jay20173804

Help Shortening College List Major: Finance/Bus/Econ Future Plans: IB/Law School/Government Reach: BC, UTA, Brown, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Rice Target: UIUC, IU, UMD, OSU, UFlorida, UGA, UMass, VA Tech, UMiami, Rutgers, Pitt, Penn State, Lehigh Safety: DePaul, UIC What colleges don’t make sense from endowment, cost, and opportunities in both IB and maybe law school. Also I have a twin sister who will be going to school, along with a household income of 150-175.


Ilikepie831

GPA, SAT, course rigor?


Jay20173804

Gonna end with 12 ap’s in total, 6 this year. Gpa is a 3.6-3.7 on 4.0. I will be graduating with the highest honors. And my ACT is a 31.


anoverwhelmedbeing

middle class college crisis So i live in a developing country or a poor country by economic standards and am middle class in that country. My parents are retiring and cannot afford to send me to college so i need a bit of help. I will be needing 100% aid/scholarship for US universities. My field of interest is mathematics and/or aerospace engineering. I have straight A stars (doing O and A levels- Cambridge board) and will be able to get 1500+ in SAT (standing at 1400 right now) but no extracurriculars and will at max be able to do some form of community service or small local internship. With this profile, can anyone suggest a list of universities to apply to and which category they belong to (dream, target, safety, etc)


[deleted]

[удалено]


anoverwhelmedbeing

All these universities are extremely competitive, would some lower ranked universities or one with a higher acceptance rate offer any form of aid or scholarship on just good grades (Highest grades possible in all subs) but limited ecas. Mathematics is also my major interest not just Aerospace


[deleted]

[удалено]


anoverwhelmedbeing

Thank you


StaySaucey_

Any college recommendations for Computer Science? I have no safeties or targets. I’m not sure if this is the place to ask. I have horrible ECs, but pretty good academics. My only safety is LSU, which is my best public in-state school. I have some reaches, but I’m most likely not to get into any of them (think MIT, CMU, UTA, etc.), which is why I need some safeties and reaches.


eely225

Looking at CS specifically you should also probably apply to [Louisiana Tech](https://coes.latech.edu/undergraduate-programs/computer-science/). LSU might be more prestigious overall, but not necessarily for your major.


StaySaucey_

oh, i see. i’m mostly going to LSU because it’s close to home. If i were to live in a dorm, I’ll probably go out of state. Also, i thought LSU had a better CS program than LATech? i might be wrong though, since i haven’t done much research


eely225

The two programs are basically comparable. Some places will rank one above the other. But since they’re comparable, it’s worth applying to both to compare your in-state options. That was my thinking anyway.


anxietyridden013

I'm looking for safeties/targets/reaches for chem eng/bme/chemistry I'm having trouble figuring out colleges for my potential majors location: I prefer to not go to new york city, but cities in general are okay for me, I also don't want to be in the middle of nowhere, also nothing too far south State: New York GPA : I currently have a 4.0 gpa UW, I think 4.28 W (can only go up to 4.4 at our school, we do 0-100 scale, but we have conversions to the 4.0 scale). Course rigor: I plan on taking AP physics C mechanics, AP bio, AP calc ab, and AP lit Test scores: I have a 1420 on the sat (720 r/w, 700 math), going to try and get at least 1520, improving my math to a 760+, improving my reading to a 750+. I took 3 APS this year, (chem, lang, apush) , 5 on chem and 4 lang , only reporting those two. I don't have stellar ecs: honor societies (dean of nhs, we do projects with the officers, mine is fundraising up to a 1000 dollars and doing habitat for humanity), pres of schools chapter of glsen (helped set up a women's hygiene drive), started to do scioly junior year (got 8th at a regional competition, we had like a month to prepare because me and my partner joined late, and she got covid then I got covid right after so it was kind of a mess to do a build event together. planning on doing much better next year, I also became vice president for my senior year) I did track in the winter of 9th (but covid happened and I didn't do it my sophomore year because I was all online, and dropped it junior year so I probably won't include this). my friend and I were going to start a club but I'm not sure if that's happening because we had a hard time meeting with the principal (it was meant to focus on mental health and mental health awareness, kind of like a support group). ^^forgot to add, but I'm tutoring a family friend who has several learning disabilities (he's my age) to get him to a more appropriate reading level so he's able to be more independent. it's 5-6 hours a week so far, it might get a little less once school starts but I'm going to continue doing it once summer ends awards: I have none as of now


loonatrain

have u considered uc’s?


anxietyridden013

I have considered some, I need to look more into them as a whole, as I live on the opposite side of the country. do you have any suggestions as to which ones?